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Sovereign of The Abyss Chapter 65
"Let me get this straight," Liam said, pacing the chamber as the Prime Guardian's projection showed a civilization far more advanced than anything they'd been taught existed in pre-Academy times. "The Abyss wasn't always a hellscape of corruption and murder-monsters?""Your terminology is crude but essentially correct," the guardian replied. "What you call 'the Abyss' was once the Void Realm—a necessary counterbalance to your world of physical matter.""And Ash users—sorry, Void Sovereigns—were basically cosmic border patrol?" Akiya asked, fascination overriding her usual skepticism."Mediators and guardians," the construct corrected. "They alone could exist in both realms without corruption, maintaining the boundaries that kept both worlds in harmony."Anna was furiously taking notes on her datapad. "This contradicts every established theory about the Abyss. The Academy teaches that it's a malevolent dimension that emerged years ago.""Such Academies," the guardian rumbled, "Were fou
Sovereign of The Abyss Chapter 66
“The church later realized that the more. Sovereigns they killed, the more destruction came about in the abyss,” the guardian said."So that’s what you mean by the sovereign were batteries," Miko whispered, recalling Elena's words about her father's research. "The abyss itself is alive because it uses Ash element sources to power its self or to power the corruption of the abyss. And the only source of Ash, is an Ash mage."“The barriers that they priests set up to supposedly protect your world from Abyssal incursions are powered by the extracted energy of Sovereign.""That's monstrous," Anna said softly."It's also unsustainable," the Keeper added. "Forced extraction corrupts the energy, requiring more and more Sovereigns to maintain the same protection. As their numbers dwindled, the Church became increasingly desperate."“Because the sovereigns were batteries, I think they are not able to defend themselves and keep the abyss powered up at the same, it’s making more sense now.”Miko
Sovereign of The Abyss Chapter 67
Liam had fallen silent, watching the Keeper with narrowed eyes as it drifted at the edge of the chamber. He nudged Akiya."Is it just me," he whispered, "or has our faceless tour guide been talking non-stop about how humans ruined everything?"Akiya frowned slightly. "I noticed that too.""I mean, I'm all for acknowledging historical screw-ups, but this feels a bit heavy on the 'humans bad, void good' propaganda."The Keeper, who had been silent during the guardian's explanation, now drifted forward. "The chamber of murals will show what words cannot fully convey. Follow."As they moved through another series of corridors, Liam sidled up to Miko, keeping his voice low. "Hey, something's not adding up here."The distraction brought Miko back from the surge of thoughts flowing into his head."What do you mean?" Miko asked, equally quiet."All through Academy training, they drilled into us that the Abyss initiated
Sovereign of The Abyss Chapter 68
"Split up!" Miko shouted as Sylas launched toward them, his elongated limbs cutting through the air like whips.The team scattered in four directions just as the wraith's magic shattered the stone where they'd been standing. Chunks of rock exploded outward, forcing Liam to throw up a hasty wind barrier.“What’s that magic it’s shooting out?”“It looks like Miko’s Ash,” Liam said.“It’s not. It’s corruption from the Ab—“ Akiya said.“Corrupt mana,” Anna interrupted.“Yup! Corrupt mana!” Miko echoed."Anyone got a plan for fighting stretchy nightmare-fuel?" Liam called, sending a concentrated blast of wind that Sylas batted away like an annoying insect.Miko rolled to his feet, Ash element swirling darker around his hands. This wasn't like fighting standard Abyssal entities. Every instinct honed through years of AAU training screamed that they were outmatched."Anna, support!" he ordered, ducking under a corrupt fast blast from Sylas.“His energy signature is unlike anything! It's like
Sovereign of The Abyss Chapter 69
Akiya's fire blasts merged with a wave. Anna's light element wrapped around both, creating a whirling elemental fusion that Liam's wind shaped into a giant fan-like pattern that covered nearly the entire room.The combined attack struck Sylas from multiple angles simultaneously, the supercharged elements creating a reaction none of them had seen before. Where the elements merged, they formed a crystalline lattice that briefly encased portions of the wraith's body.Sylas roared, the sound shaking the entire cavern. For a moment, it seemed they had him contained—until the wraith's form began to pulse with sickly yellow light."Impressive," he snarled. "But ultimately futile."The crystalline lattice shattered as Sylas expanded his form violently, the explosion sending shrapnel flying in all directions. Liam barely managed to create a wind shield to protect the team from the worst of it.Miko staggered, the after effects of Elemental Acceleration hitting him like a physical blow. His lim
Sovereign of The Abyss Chapter 70
The journey back through the cavern system was painfully slow. Miko could barely walk, even with Liam and Akiya supporting him on either side. Anna took point, her light element providing both illumination and early warning of any remaining threats."Anyone else notice that our wraith friend didn't actually kill us when he had the chance?" Liam asked, adjusting his grip on Miko's arm. "Not that I'm complaining about being alive, but it seems like a weird choice for an all-powerful Abyss monster.""He wanted something from Miko," Anna said quietly, scanning the path ahead. "He called him 'Heir of Asterion' repeatedly.""And mentioned my bloodline," Miko added, wincing as pain shot through his leg. The modified Body Swap technique had left his entire nervous system hypersensitive. "Whatever Sylas was after, it wasn't just about killing AAU cadets."Akiya, who had been uncharacteristically quiet since the battle, suddenly stopped. "Listen."They all froze, straining to hear what had caug
Sovereign of The Abyss Chapter 71
The journey back through the portal was a blur of pain and disorientation. Miko drifted in and out of consciousness, fragments of the battle with Sylas replaying behind his eyelids. The wraith's final warning echoed in his mind: *There are five of us. And I'm the weakest.*They emerged into the controlled chaos of AAU headquarters' medical wing. Nurses and doctors swarmed around them, calling out stats and treatment protocols. Through the haze, Miko caught sight of Coordinator Hayes pushing through the crowd, his usually composed face tight with concern."Get them stabilized," Hayes ordered the medical team. "I need reports as soon as they're conscious.""Sir," one of the doctors approached hesitantly. "The unidentified male—his readings are... unusual. We should isolate him until—""Do what you need to medically," Hayes cut her off. "But keep him with the team. They found him; they stay with him."The doctor looked like she wanted to argue but nodded curtly before returning to her pa
Sovereign of The Abyss Chapter 72
The team was left to rest on their beds overnight. When morning came, Miko, Liam, Akiya, and Anna walked out of the infirmary together, still feeling the lingering effects of their battle."Did anyone else have weird dreams about stretchy wraith guy?" Liam asked, rolling his shoulders with a wince. "Or was that just the pain meds talking?""I didn't sleep enough to dream," Akiya replied, checking her bandages. "Too busy wondering why we're not dead."Anna glanced up from her datapad, her expression serious. "Coordinator Hayes sent a message. We're expected at the president's mansion in one hour.""The president?" Liam's eyebrows shot up. "As in the actual president of the country? That can't be good.""Let's not jump to conclusions," Miko cautioned, though his own anxiety was rising. "Maybe he just wants to give us medals for exceptional wraith-fighting.""Yeah, right," Akiya snorted. "When have we ever been summoned somewhere for good news?""There's a first time for everything," Ann
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Chapter 121
“You can call me Veros. My brother Sylas speaks highly of you," Veros continued, taking a step forward for each one Miko took back. "Says you taste of the abyss and something else. Something... ancient.""I'm not food," Miko snarled, his hands clenching into fists as he tried again to summon his element.Veros laughed, the sound like shattering bones. "Everything is food to those who know how to feed. Your ash element is particularly... nutritious."Without warning, the wraith lunged, moving with impossible speed. Miko barely had time to dodge, the creature's clawed hand grazing his shoulder and tearing through his uniform.Pain flared, hot and immediate. Miko rolled, coming up in a defensive stance as blood soaked the torn fabric."Fast for a human," Veros observed, licking Miko's blood from his fingertips. "But not fast enough.""I don't need speed," Miko said, focusing on the pendant's heat spreading through his chest. "I just need to hit you once."The wraith tilted his head, curi
Chapter 120
"Miko," Akiya murmured, her fingers brushing the warm black dust where he had stood moments before. "Where did you go?"A shout broke the tense silence, making everyone turn. One of the junior cadets was running toward them from the treeline, panic etched across his face."Something's coming!" he yelled, stumbling as he reached the group. "Something big!"Gregor grabbed the cadet's shoulders, steadying him. "Catch your breath. What did you see?""A wraith," the cadet gasped, pointing back the way he'd come. "I was setting up perimeter markers and I saw it. Just standing there, watching me.""A wraith?" Gregor's expression hardened. "You're sure?""Positive," the cadet nodded frantically. "It... it smiled at me."Liam and Anna exchanged alarmed looks."Come to think of it," Liam said slowly, "we haven't seen any wraiths since we entered the Abyss. Not a single one.""How many?" Gregor demanded, turning back to the cadet. "How many did you see?""Just one," the cadet replied. "But it wa
Chapter 119
The silence after the ash shockwave was absolute. Trees that had groaned under the weight of mist now stood eerily still, leaves unmoving, the air cold with a kind of supernatural stillness.Akiya was the first to move."That light—" she began, already pushing through the trees. "That was Miko. I know it.""How do you know?" Liam asked, falling in beside her."Because I felt it," she said, eyes locked forward. "That pulse. It was him. I don’t know how, but it was him."The others hesitated only a second before following.Branches snapped beneath their boots. The forest was slowly returning to normal, but the air still held a heaviness—as if mourning something invisible that had passed. The path twisted, trees now parted in ways they hadn’t been before, and the ground showed signs of disruption: scorched patches, cracked stone, and a strange black residue that clung to roots and bark like soot.Then they saw him.Miko stood at the edge of a collapsed ridge, where the forest met a steep
Chapter 118
As he prepared to find a way back to the surface, Miko couldn't help wondering about the facility's original purpose. Who had built it? Why create weapons of such destructive potential? And most puzzling of all, why design them specifically for users with his exact elemental affinity—a combination so rare it had apparently vanished from the world until his own emergence?The questions would have to wait. His priority now was finding a way out of this underground vault and reuniting with his team. With the fog entity still active above, they were likely facing their own challenges, possibly in danger.Miko located what appeared to be a maintenance shaft in one corner of the facility, its ladder leading upward toward the surface. Before climbing, he took one last look at the activated lantern, its potential both fascinating and terrifying."I'll be back for you," he promised the device. "Once this mission is over."**While Miko explored the ancient facility below, the other groups cont
Chapter 117
Miko returned to the central chamber of the underground facility, still puzzling over the crumbling lanterns. The place was vast, stretching further than he'd managed to explore so far, but one section had caught his attention—a room that appeared to be an office or study, its walls lined with what might generously be called books, though they were unlike any he'd seen before."If I'm going to figure this place out, might as well start with the records," he decided, entering the study.The "books" were actually thin metal plates bound together with some kind of flexible alloy, their surfaces covered with the same symbols he'd seen throughout the facility. Most were incomprehensible to him, but some contained diagrams he could interpret—schematics for equipment, illustrations of elemental energy flows, and most interestingly, drawings of the lanterns he'd found."So these were important," he murmured, carefully turning the delicate metal pages of one volume.The diagrams showed the lan
Chapter 116
Miko didn't have time to scream as the ground collapsed beneath him. One moment he was standing in the fog-shrouded forest, the next he was plummeting through darkness, his stomach lurching from the sudden drop. His Ash element swirled around him instinctively, trying to slow his descent but finding nothing solid to grip.The fall lasted only seconds before he crashed through some kind of membrane—a sensation like breaking through thin ice—and then hit solid ground with bone-jarring force. He rolled automatically, distributing the impact as he'd been taught in Academy training."Ugh," he groaned, lying on his back and taking inventory of his body. Nothing seemed broken, though he'd definitely have bruises tomorrow. If there was a tomorrow.After a moment to catch his breath, Miko sat up and summoned his Ash element to provide illumination. The shadows gathered around his hand, creating a dim glow that pushed back the absolute darkness."What the hell...?" he muttered, looking around.
Chapter 115
"There it is again," Akiya whispered, her flame briefly flaring brighter. "Did you see it?"Liam and Lyra followed her gaze into the swirling fog, where a faint ripple of movement had disturbed the otherwise uniform mist."Probably just air currents," Lyra replied, though her tone lacked conviction. She'd been saying similar things for the past hour as they wandered through the endless fog, but even her professional skepticism was wearing thin."No," Akiya insisted, taking a step closer to the disturbance. "It's reacting to us. Watch."She extended her free hand toward the fog, not quite touching it. The mist immediately withdrew from her approach, creating a small pocket of clear air around her fingers."See? It's avoiding direct contact. That's not how normal fog behaves."Liam moved beside her, cautiously extending his own hand. The fog retreated from him as well, though less dramatically."She's right," he said, looking back at Lyra. "This isn't just some corruption manifestation.
Chapter 114
Shadows swirled around Miko's fingers as he navigated through the impenetrable fog. Without his Ash element, he would have been completely blind in the shifting mists that erased all sense of direction."Come on," he muttered to himself, extending his awareness through the shadows. "Give me something to work with."His Ash element responded, spreading outward like tendrils searching for solid references in the chaotic environment.Most of what the shadows found was just more fog, but occasionally they detected something solid—massive tree trunks, root structures, the occasional corrupted vegetation. Not enough to create a map, but sufficient to avoid walking into obstacles."Akiya!" he called out, more from habit than expectation. "Liam! Anna!"His voice seemed to travel only a few meters before the fog swallowed it completely. The neural link remained silent except for occasional bursts of static that made him wince.Miko closed his eyes, focusing on his connection to the void. If no
Chapter 113
"What is that?" Liam asked, pointing at the strange haze that had appeared on the horizon as they continued their journey through the massive forest.The fog wasn't like anything they'd seen before in the Abyss. it shimmered with an oily iridescence, neither solid nor gas, spreading across their path like a living curtain.Elena stepped forward, her expression grave as she studied the phenomenon. "It's an illusion barrier," she said. "A defense mechanism that typically appears near the core. The Church has documented these, but few who enter ever return to report what they experienced.""What exactly does it do?" Anna asked, moving closer to examine the strange fog from a safer distance."It distorts reality," Elena explained. "Makes you see things that aren't there, hide things that are. Some say it can even separate groups by making each person experience a different version of reality."Gregor snorted dismissively. "Church superstition. It's just another corruption manifestation."
